1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a handle assembly for a dual-bearing reel, which can be mounted to a handle shaft rotatably supported by a reel unit for a dual-bearing reel attachable to a fishing rod. The present invention also relates to a dual-bearing reel including the handle assembly
2. Background Art
Dual-bearing reels are normally embedded with a handle assembly for rotating a spool in a fishing-line winding direction. The handle assembly is mounted to a handle shaft rotatably supported by a reel unit. The handle assembly is normally used for continuously rotating the spool in the fishing-line winding direction to wind a fishing line onto the spool. However, an operation of slightly winding the fishing line is required in fishing. For example, the spool can be slightly rotated in the fishing-line winding direction, for instance, when slack is decreased in the fishing line by winding the fishing line, when a clutch mechanism is returned to a clutch-on state from a clutch-off state after casting, when a lure is caused to perform an action after casting and etc.
In slightly rotating the spool in the fishing-line winding direction, the fishing-line winding action can not be instantly performed when the fishing line is wound using a handle assembly. Specifically, it is even difficult to instantly operate a handle assembly of a double handle type unless handle knobs happen to be positioned for allowing an angler to easily pinch them. This is because the handle knobs are disposed away from each other at an angle of 180 degrees. In view of the above, a structure has been widely known that a drag regulation member called “a star drag” is provided with auxiliary operating portions for rotating a handle shaft by a hand holding a fishing rod (see e.g., specification of Japan Patent No. 3967661). In the well-known drag regulation member, the auxiliary operating portions are disposed on the tips of a plurality of drag operating portions radially protruded. The auxiliary operating portions are disposed closer to the reel unit.